


Hearts of the Divine

by cherryandmapletrees



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Eventual Smut, F/M, Gang Violence, Gangs, Ghoulies, Southside Serpent Jughead Jones, Whyte Wyrm, all that good stuff, cursing, possible drug use, riverdale high, southside high, southside serpents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2019-06-15 23:53:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15424413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherryandmapletrees/pseuds/cherryandmapletrees
Summary: Carrie Weylyn had her life set out for her. Well, until her brother died in a normal night turned deadly.Suddenly, thrown into a new school with strangers and living with her deceased brother's best friend, Carrie starts questioning everything she knew about herself and love.





	1. Chapter 1

 

Carrie finished the last bit of the spiderweb she’d been drawing for the last 45 minutes, moving her pen in slow, steady strokes. Normally she actually enjoyed history class, but today she just couldn’t seem to focus, probably because it was an easy day, they’d just taken state testing earlier that week. They’d taken them closer to the beginning of the year due to “overcrowding.” Meaning, “let’s find the kids who don’t know anything and kick them out so we can pretend like we’re not drowning.” She didn’t even lift her head when the intercom hissed on, not particularly caring whatever the principal had to stay this time.

 _“Would Carrie Weylyn please report to the front office. Again, Carrie Weylyn, please report to the front office._ ” Her head snapped up at the sound of her name, and she heard quiet laughter from her friends surrounding her.

“Looks like the General got herself in some trouble, guys. About time, Ms. Perfect Grade Point Average.” She stood, swinging her backpack up on her shoulder, smacking Jonathan on the arm as she walked past him, rolling her eyes at him.

“Shut the hell up, dude. They probably just want to give me my test scores.” Carrie didn’t even look at the teacher as she left the room, no teacher would ever dare question the all powerful intercom. She moved through the halls with a purpose, anyone else moving out of her way like normal, with the exception of a Serpent that sent her a nasty look. She simply glared back until they passed each other right in front of the door to the office. She turned the knob on the door to the principal’s office, coming here enough to know the trick of twisting it to the right a bit and then all the way to the left to get it to open. Everything in this school was so old and broken that there was a “trick” to everything. She didn’t even have time to sit down when she walked in, the principal was waiting in the door to his office.

“Right this way, Ms. Weylyn.” She noticed the way his eyes flickered down to her jacket, taking in the silver studs adorning the whole thing. Now matter how often she had to talk to him, his eyes dropped to her jacket every damn time. She followed him into his office, settling into the chair that sat in front of his desk. “Do you know why you’re here, Ms. Weylyn?”

“No sir, but I’m assuming it has something to do with my test scores?” She was careful to keep her tone neutral and polite with him, no need to be the stereotype he thought they all were.

“Yes, actually. As I’m sure you are aware, Southside High is experiencing some… overcrowding issues. Your test scores put you in the top percentile in the Riverdale area and the state, and your excellent GPA has also made the school board aware of you. As of next Monday, I am pleased to report that you will be the newest student at Riverdale High School, a school more…. Fitting for your academic needs.” It took a few seconds for Carrie to realize what he was saying, and when she did, she wasn’t sure how she felt about it.

“Do I get a say in this, sir?” He looked surprised, his eyebrows furrowing before he reformed his expression into the calm “principal” expression. “I had assumed you would be pleased to go somewhere that would help further your education away from unsavory influences.” She almost laughed at the distaste in his tone as his eyes flickered down to her jacket once again, almost like he was hoping it had disappeared.

“If you mean the Serpents, sir, I agree with you there.”

“I didn’t just mean the Serpents, Ms. Weylyn.”

“I know. This transfer is final, I’m assuming? No way out of it?” He lifted a stack of paper and showed it to her.

“This is your transfer paperwork, it’s been completed both by us and the administration at Riverdale. I’m afraid you don’t have much choice. My apologies.” He smiled at her condescendingly, the smug bastard.

“Since it’s so close to the end of the day, you have my permission to leave for the rest of the afternoon. Take the weekend to prepare your guardian for your move to a new school.”

“Yes sir. Have a good weekend.” She stood, grabbing her backpack, not even bothering to hide her irritation. Yeah, education would be great, but she would liked to at least have been asked about it. She left the office and immediately headed to the front door, texting Jonathon that she was leaving early so he wouldn’t wait for her after class like normal. If they said she could leave early, damn straight she was going to do it. She pushed out the front door using a kick of her foot, both her hands busy with her earbuds as she slipped them into her ears. She clicked through her music, settling on Green Day before turning to the left side of the parking lot, where her and her friends parked their motorcycles. The Serpents parked theirs on the other side, and a rule had been established to keep bloodshed from occuring: Don’t fuck with anyone else’s bikes or you’ll be on your own when they come to kick your ass.

She slung one leg over her bike as she clipped her helmet under her chin, movements well practiced to the point she could probably do it in her sleep. She kicked it to life, feeling the rumble beneath her. That feeling was the reason she’d never own a car, motorcycles were more freeing. She debated for a second if she needed to text Mal and tell him she was on the way home, but decided against it. He didn’t care if she left early as long as she had permission. She left the school parking lot, heading home almost on autopilot. By the time she got there, her irritation had been allowed to fester for a while, so she was hoping he was up to talk when she walked in, help her out a little. She didn’t even pause as she walked through the door, pulling out her headphones and making a beeline for the fridge, craving the soda she’d hidden that morning before she left.

“Well hello to you too.” She gave a half-hearted wave over her shoulder as Malachi called out to her, voice dripping with sarcasm. Where in the living hell was that soda, she’d hidden it right- that _bastard_. She stood and turned slowly, letting the fridge door close itself. Malachi was sprawled across the couch, holding the can she’d been searching for. He held eye contact as he slowly lifted the can, taking a very slow and very exaggerated sip. She waited until he was finished, her eyebrow raised.

“Seriously? You _motherfucker_ , that was the last one. I even hid it so you wouldn’t get to it, asshole. I will beat you to death with a pool noodle, I swear to god. You know I wanted that.”

“Should’ve called dibs.” She glared at him as she walked over to sit down.

“Move your feet, I want to sit down.”

“Make me.” She sighed at him and grabbed his feet, flinging them off the couch and flopped down before he could lift them back up. He shifted his position so he was sitting up, and she took the opportunity to unzip her boots and pull them off before putting her feet in his lap. He shot her a look and she grinned back at him.

“You know how this works, Mal. You sit by my feet and I use you as a footrest.” He rolled his eyes at her, but didn’t throw her feet off. Mostly because they both knew she’d just put them right back.

“You’re home early today. Get your test scores back yet?” She combed her fingers through her hair and quickly twisted it up until a bun,stalling her response for just a moment.

“Yeah. About that. Apparently my scores and my “shining achievement” of a 4.0 GPA got me the attention of the school board. They’re moving me to Riverdale High on Monday.”

“They’re moving you Northside? What the fuck? Who in their right mind would think that’s a good idea?”

“Education, asshole. They want me somewhere that’s “better suited to my academic needs” or whatever.” He rolled his eyes at her, sighing.

“Car, you know I love you like the annoying ass human being you are, but you don’t fit in with Northsiders. You’ll be a fish out of water there.”

“A Ghoulie in a crowd of Bulldogs you mean? I can handle myself, you know that.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about. You know how Northsiders feel about us, you’re going to have to deal with a lot of shit from them.”

“Like I don’t catch shit from the Serpents all the goddamn time?” His face twisted at the mention of the Serpents, anger flickering across his features for a second.

“This is different. The Serpents will fight you back, we all know that. None of us are Northside, we don’t know how those people work. They might fight you back, they might just go run crying to administration and get you kicked out.” He was actually worried for her and it was sweet, but she didn’t need it.

“You know I’m smart enough to stay out of a fight during school.” He raised his eyebrow and grabbed her hand, lifting it to remind her of the bandage he’d had to wrap her hand with yesterday when she’d come home with split knuckles after getting into a fight.

“That wasn’t during school or on school property, and that asshole was asking for it.”

“Who’d you even get in a fight with? You almost broke your knuckles, whatever you did.”

“The one with the tattoo on his neck. Sweet Pea.”

“That’s like the fifth time you’ve picked a fight with that asshole, what the hell did he say this time?” She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the armrest, shaking her head. “If you punched him that hard, he obviously said something to piss you off. What the fuck did he say?” She shifted her position so she was pretty much laying down with her legs across his lap, partially because it was comfortable, but mostly because she knew what his reaction was going to be and she needed to be able to hold him down.

“The same shit they say behind my back all the time. That you’ve only been my guardian for the last two years because you pity me and in his words I’m “a convenient little plaything” for you to fuck when you’re bored.” His entire body tensed so hard she could hear the can as his fist crushed it.

“That motherfucker, I swear to god I will kill him.” He made a move to get up, but she tensed her muscles, holding him down.

“Chill, Mal. I’m used to it, they say it all the fucking time. And we all know it’s not true so that’s all that matters. Right?” She was used to seeing that burning anger deep in his eyes, he hated whenever the Serpents messed with the Ghoulies, but especially her. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it until she felt him relax. “There, see? All good. Nothing to worry about. I knocked him out as soon as he said it anyways. Asshole had it coming.”

“I’m still going to fucking kill him.” There was enough fire in his eyes she knew she’d need to stay with him the rest of the afternoon so he didn’t actually go kill the Serpent.

“You go right ahead and do that. But let’s watch a movie first.” He sighed heavily.

“If you make me watch another damn musical, I am not liable for what happens when you’re asleep tonight.” She laughed at his weak attempt at a threat, sitting up to reach across him and grab the remote.

“Weak threat, Mal. Weak ass threat. We both know you secretly love musicals.”

“Can I at least put my damn feet up?”

“Of course, there’s a coffee table right there.”

“I hate you.” He still propped his feet on the table, letting her keep her legs in his lap, even if he did lay his arms across her knees. She turned on Hello Dolly, an old favorite no matter how much he pretended to hate it. She got about halfway through before her eyes started to drift shut. It seemed like she had just fallen asleep with she felt a sharp pain jolt up the inside of her thigh, jerking her awake. She flew up, kicking out with her foot and narrowly missing Malachi, who was laughing so hard he was silently wheezing.

“You are such a fucking asshole, what the hell?”

“Movie’s over. And you need to get some sleep. You’re exhausted, have you been sleeping?”

“Well I just was until someone decided to wake me up by pinching a nerve.” He grinned at her as she stood, rolling her shoulders and arching her back until she felt it pop in a few places. He stood too, grabbing her shoulder and pulling her in for a hug. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him back as he gently kissed the top of her head. He ruffled her hair and let her go after a minute.

“Go get some sleep, Car. Everyone will want to congratulate you this weekend, boost you up before you have to deal with spoiled Northsiders all the time.”

“Oh joy. Night, Mal.” She closed her door behind her, pulling off her jacket and barely pausing to throw it onto the chair in the corner before she fell into bed, too tired to go about actually getting ready for bed. She fell asleep fast enough that she didn’t even hear Malachi moving around the trailer, let alone when he left.


	2. Chapter 2

Carrie pulled her helmet off, running her fingers through her hair to work out the snarls that had worked their way in during the ride here. She’d almost put her hair up in a ponytail before she left, but she’d wanted to curl it and leave it down. She sighed heavily, pulling one earbud out and shifting her backpack to one shoulder before pulling her phone out and typing a quick text to Mal, who had insisted that she tell him when she got there. 

 

**_Carrie: Since you insisted I tell you, I made it to school. And for the record, I feel like a little kid texting their parent to say they made it safe and I hate you for that._ **

 

**_Malachi: Smartass. Keep your chin up and show those Northsiders who you are. And for the love of god please don’t pick a fight. I don’t want to have to deal with Northsiders today._ **

 

**_Carrie: And you think I do? I won’t pick a fight, I’m not that stupid._ **

 

**_Malachi: Says the one who almost ate cereal with a fork this morning because she was half asleep._ **

 

**_Carrie: Shut the fuck up, it’s not my fault I was up until 2 in the morning because someone decided to go get in a fight with Serpents and I had to take care of his ass._ **

 

**_Malachi: Get to class._ **

 

**_Carrie: See, you know I’m right._ **

 

**_Malachi: Sure, sure, whatever helps you sleep at night._ **

 

She slipped her phone back in her pocket, tugging her jacket tighter around her shoulders. She’d gone with the slightly less studded leather jacket this morning, and had stolen Mal’s wrist guards to make up for it. She slid off her bike and headed towards the front doors of Riverdale High, taking note of the eyes that were drawn to her and flitted away just as quickly. She couldn’t help the slight smirk that she could feel on her face, and she wore it like armor as she pulled the door open, officially sealing her fate. The first thing that struck her was the fact that there weren’t any metal detectors. She was so used to the sight of them at Southside that it threw her off for a moment. 

There was sunlight streaming through the intact windows, shining warm and soft  over the walls and floors. The lockers was actually securely bolted to the walls, and everything was oddly clean. Carrie walked straight past the crowd of Northsiders who had gathered in the foyer to watch her come in, making a beeline for the front office, which she found due to the numerous signs pointing her that way. Her eyes took in her surroundings, from the door to the bathrooms to the cheerful billboards covered in bright flyers. 

 

A pit of resentment settled in her chest at the thought of the difference between Riverdale High, with its shining, clean halls and Southside High, with its boarded over windows and lockers that looked like they were about to falls off the walls at any moment. The privilege of the Northsiders hadn’t officially sunk in until she was standing here, staring in disgust and awe at the trophy case right outside the office. With a sigh, she yanked open the office door and slipped inside, catching the eye of the kid standing in front of the desk. She was waiting for his eyes to flicker down to her jacket, and sure enough, they did. He still walked up to her, holding out his hand for her to shake.

 

“You must be Carrie Weylyn. I’m Kevin Keller, your peer escort.” She shook his hand, releasing him quickly due to the bandage still wrapped around her knuckles, which had split open again while she slept, but he barely seemed to react.

 

“Keller?” Immediately, she could see the flash of irritation in his eyes, so she didn’t finish her question. “Right. So you’re supposed to show me around this glorious building that screams privilege from every corner?” She was surprised when he laughed at her comment.

 

“Yep. Normally Betty Cooper does it, but she’s busy with the newspaper today, so I volunteered to escort the big bad Southsider around.” He was surprisingly blunt, something she couldn’t help but appreciate. She almost laughed, shaking her head.

 

“Ms. Weylyn. If I could speak with you for just a moment before Mr. Keller escorts you around.” Carrie turned to face the man who’d spoken. Everything from his clothes to his posture screamed ‘preppy high school principal’ so she nodded and stepped into his office at his bidding.

 

“You must be the principal, Mr. Weatherbee.” She observed him closely, watching his eyes, but he surprised her and held her gaze, his eyes not dropping to her jacket as she’d expected.

 

“I am. The administration down at Southside High spoke very highly of you, Ms. Weylyn. It’s my pleasure to welcome you to Riverdale High.” His mouth pursed for a moment, and he finally delivered what she’d been waiting for, his eyes lowering to her jacket. “They did tell me about the… unsavory influences down at Southside, however. One of which you associate with. They assured me you were nothing but a model student, but I am required to inform you that we will not stand for any sort of gang violence in these halls. As of now, I see no reason not to allow you to continue wearing your jacket, but if I hear of any issues, I will be forced to make you remove it. Understood?”

 

“Of course, sir. I have no reason to cause problems with the North- I mean, the students here at Riverdale.” He smiled warmly at her for the first time, reaching a hand forward for her to shake. She gripped his hand and shook it, giving him a polite smile back. 

 

“Welcome to Riverdale High, Ms. Weylyn. Congratulations.” He motioned with a hand towards the door and she took her cue, slipping back out into the main office, where Kevin was still waiting. 

 

“So, he’s still letting you wear the intimidating jacket? That’ll definitely keep people off your back.” 

 

“That was the plan when I wore it. And this is actually tamer than the one I wore down at Southside, I figured I should tone it down. Don’t want to give you sensitive Northsiders a heart attack.” Kevin opened the door to the hallway, waving her forward. She followed behind him, moving next to him as soon as she was out the door.

 

“You could give some of the people here heart attacks just by looking at them. You look like you can murder someone 500 different ways with your bare hands alone, and the jacket just adds to it.” She surprised herself by laughing out loud, quickly closing her mouth so it died in her throat.

 

“You’re blunt, aren’t you Keller?”

 

“Call me Kevin. And yes, I’ve been told. I am both the token gay best friend and the token blunt best friend. Double sided coin.” She nodded, laughing quietly to herself again.

 

“I think I like you, Kevin.”

 

“My one great goal in life has been achieved, I can die happy now.” His voice rang with sarcasm, but he smiled, looking pleased. He took her around the school, showing her everything that Riverdale High had that Southside lacked. Working toilets, computer lab, a library (which she was excited about), lockers that actually worked, and walls clean of the spray paint that was all over Southside. Suspicious eyes were drawn to her left and right as they walked through the halls, and at one point, she caught sight of someone backing away from her like she’d threatened them. 

 

“So. Who around here isn’t going to hate me just on principal?”

 

“Well… Betty for sure, and since her and Jughead Jones are dating, probably him too. Archie Andrews will because he’s a simple soul and if Betty tells him someone is ok, he listens. And that’s about it. Well… Me too.”

 

“Jones?” She recognized that last name from her work with the Ghoulies. Being as high up as she was, Mal let her in on a lot of the important meetings, and she’d heard the last name of the Serpent King multiple times. Granted, it was a common last name, but it seemed like too big of a coincidence. 

 

“Yeah. He works with Betty on the school newspaper, the Blue and Gold.”

 

“Is it like a rule around here that school newspapers have to be named after colors?” Kevin laughed and Carrie couldn’t help but smile in response. 

 

“Why, what was Southside’s newspaper called?”

 

“The Red and Black. And no, before you ask, I didn’t work on the paper. Not my scene.” 

 

“I didn’t peg you as a newspaper type, don’t worry. Oh, crap… Watch out, here comes Cheryl Blossom, she’s bound to try to cause some trouble.” Carrie turned her head in the direction Kevin was looking, and her first reaction was anger clawing its way up her throat as she looked at this girl who was very obviously the definition of a Northsider. Clothes that were very obviously designer label, jewelry that Carrie could have sold and gotten a stupid amount of money for, perfectly styled red hair a few shades lighter than Carrie’s, and the signature sneer she was accustomed to seeing on the faces of Northsiders the few times she’d been unlucky enough to run into some of them. The Blossom girl walked with a gait that spoke of years of privilege and training, and when she stopped in front of Carrie, her smile was sickly sweet, and her voice was the same way, dripping sugar and poison.

 

“Before you get any ideas about using your status as a Southsider to gain you favor, let me warn you. Only one redhead can rule this school, and that position is filled. Even if it wasn’t, no way in hell it would go to a Southside trash, gang affiliated  _ slut _ like you, clear?” Carrie almost laughed at the girl’s attempt at bravado, used to dealing with even more from Serpents, especially newer ones fresh through initiation who thought they could start shit with her and walk away unscathed. She didn’t rise to the girl’s bait, simply smiling at her.

 

“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind, Northsider.” Cheryl’s mouth opened, but she couldn’t seem to come up with a reply, so she turned on a heel and stalked off, her posse following close behind. Carrie smiled in victory and turned to Kevin, who was staring at her with his mouth open in shock. “What?”

 

“You are the singular person I have ever seen shut down Cheryl Blossom that fast. My respect to you, Carrie Weylyn.” 

 

“Why thank you, Kevin Keller. My one goal in life was to achieve the respect of a Northsider.” She almost worried for a moment that she’d offended him with her sardonic humor, but he laughed out loud. “Anyway, is she always like that?”

 

“Sort of, but she’s been a lot worse lately. Her twin brother, Jason Blossom, died a few weeks ago, just before school started. They never found his body.” Guilt instantly shot through Carrie, rapidly followed by the mix of anger and grief that rose up in her throat every time she thought of Kace. Her older brother by three years, he’d been a serious pain in her ass, but they’d taken care of each other. He had gotten into the Ghoulies when he was 14, joining with Malachi, who had been his best friend. A few years later, Carrie had followed suit, joining the gang at the same age as her brother and his best friend. It had been a normal night for them the night he died, wreaking havoc on the streets of the Southside when they’d run into a group of Serpents who had wanted blood. She hadn’t been there, she’d been busy with homework, but she would never forget the moment when Mal had come home, alone and covered in blood, bearing the worst news of her life. Pity flooded through her at the thought of Cheryl going through that, and in a moment of impulse, she turned to Kevin.

 

“Do you know where she’d be right now?” His expression was pure confusion, but he thought for a moment before walking off, nodding for her to follow him.

 

“Probably in the lounge with her ‘handmaidens’. This way.” He took her over to a small room off the main hall, filled with couches and vending machines. She shook off the slight jealousy and scanned the room for Cheryl, spotting her alone on one of the couches. 

 

“Thanks, Kevin. I’ll see you later?” He gave her another confused look before nodding and turning to leave, promising to see her at lunch at the latest. Cheryl looked up with an expression of disgust as Carrie walked up to her, eyes assessing every item of clothing Carrie wore.

 

“What do you want, Southsider?” Carrie tipped her head to the side and observed the other redhead carefully. She could almost feel the pain in her eyes, and she quietly spoke.

 

“Kevin told me about your brother.”

 

“What, and you wanted to come to gloat?” The Blossom girl’s voice was as sharp as broken glass, but Carrie saw tears well up in her eyes and sat across from her, leaning forward with her forearms on her thighs.

 

“No. I wanted to tell you I know what it’s like to lose a brother, to lose the one person that you felt like was your anchor to this shit world. Like you were caught in a current, but your anchor was holding you in place, so you were ok. And then all of a sudden, it’s ripped away from you and there’s water all around you, tearing you in this direction and that direction until you don’t even know what way is up anymore.” 

 

Carrie paused for a moment, clearing her throat and raising her eyes to the ceiling in an attempt to stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks. “And you fight until you can finally see the light, the surface that you know can save you. But when you swim up, fighting to breathe the whole time, your palms hit solid and you realize you’re still trapped under the ice. You can see the sunlight and the sky, but you’re screaming to be let out and no one can hear you. No matter how hard you hit, the ice never breaks. You’re just… trapped there, forever able to see the light, but never able to reach it.” 

 

We’re opposites, that’s extremely obvious. You’re a Northsider who lives in a gorgeous mansion, and you have everything you ever wanted. I’m a Southsider who lives in a trailer with my dead brother’s best friend, and I get in fights with members from a rival gang because it’s really the only thing I can do. But in this? In losing someone close? In this, we’re the same. If you ever need anything, you can ask me and I’ll help you. For Kace and for Jason. OK?” Carrie had to admit, she expected Cheryl to laugh in her face, but she was surprised when the girl nodded, tears falling from her eyes. Cheryl quickly swept them away, careful not to mess up the makeup that had evidently taken a while to apply. 

 

The first warning bell rand sharply, breaking the tension. Carrie stood, looking around for Kevin as Cheryl waved a quick goodbye and walked off, heels clicking against the ground. He waved from the doorway, jerking his chin in the direction of the hallway, “That was the first person I’ve ever seen be able to get through to Cheryl at all, let alone right after they met her.”

 

“Well, maybe things around here are starting to change,” Carrie’s lips curved into a half smile as she hoped to whatever Gods there were that things would really start to change.


	3. Chapter 3

 

A dull headache was beginning to pound at the base of Carrie’s skull by the end of third hour, and by the time she was finished with the last hour, it was a full blown migraine that was barely held at bay by the aspirin she’d taken at lunch.

 

She waved goodbye to Kevin as she headed towards her motorcycle, wanting to go home before her headache got any worse. It was approaching levels of pain she hadn’t felt in a while, and before she knew it, she was home, having gotten there half on autopilot. 

 

She registered the empty living room when she walked in the door, dropping her messenger bag by the front door and sliding off her jacket before tossing it vaguely in the direction of the chair neither her or Mal ever really sat in that was normally holding a stack of books or one of of their jackets. Carrie ran her fingers through her hair, twisting it into a loose braid before she flopped face down on the couch, sighing in relief when the darkness quieted the pounding in her skull a little. She had no idea how long she laid there before she heard a quiet laugh, but she turned her head to the side and cracked one eye open to glance up at Malachi, who stood over her shaking his head.

 

“That bad, huh?”

 

“You have no fucking idea. I couldn’t go five minutes without some Northsider trying to act all tough. Especially the damn football players. Gods I hate jocks.”

 

“Doesn’t everyone? Here, sit up.” She glared up at him, which didn’t do anything but make him laugh again. “I’m serious, sit up.”

 

“Make me, asshole.” He rolled his eyes, mouth curving into a smirk.

 

“We both know I could, Car, but I think you’ll stab me if I try, so just shut the fuck up and  _ sit up. _ ” 

 

“You’re a dick.” She took her sweet time sitting up, cradling her head in her hands as the light stabbed back into her eyes, sending a fresh wave of pain through her skull. It was less bright than it had been when she walked in, so evidently he’d closed the curtains and turned the lights off for her.

 

“We’ll see if you’re still saying that in about five minutes.” His hands replaced hers, applying pressure at her temples with his thumbs and the back of her neck with his fingertips. She sighed and relaxed, moving a little closer. It might just be that he had a different way of doing it, but he was always better at massaging a headache away than she was, so she never turned him down when he offered. She griped at him when he pulled his hands away, opening her eyes to glare at him. “Still hate me?”

 

“Always. You’re an asshole.” He laughed and shook his head at her, standing up.

 

“We’ve both known that for a long time, yes. However, some of the guys went on an alcohol run earlier and I had them stop and get you a pineapple since you like the damn things so much.”

 

“What, you couldn’t be bothered to get it yourself? I see how much I mean to you, nothing more than a task to be relegated to someone else.” A smirk curved her lips as he stared down at her, raising an eyebrow.

 

“I swear sometimes I don’t know why the fuck I put up with you, you’re a pain in my ass.”

 

“Easy. I’m fucking adorable and a treasure to be around. And you love me.” She smirked at him, noticing an odd expression flicker in his eyes for a split second before he dropped his gaze from hers, fast enough she didn’t think much of it.

 

“Shut up and come help me cut this pineapple, I don’t know how the hell to do it.” She rolled her eyes and stood up, rolling her head from side to side until she felt the bones in her neck pop.

 

“Mal, how many times have you watched me cut a pineapple?”

 

“I don’t know, but that doesn’t mean I was paying enough attention to remember how the fuck to do it.” She laughed and moved past him to the kitchen, knowing he’d follow her. 

 

She grabbed the knife she needed from the drawer, and held her hand out to catch the pineapple she knew he was about to toss to her, pulling it against her body as soon as it landed in her arm. Cradling it in one arm, she set the knife down and pulled one of the stems directly from the middle, nodding a bit when it came free easily into her hand. She made quick work of cutting it, knife slipping through the soft yellow flesh of the fruit as she cut it into small chunks, dumping them into the bowl Mal slid to her across the counter. She turned to toss the knife into the sink when she finished, turning again to throw away the empty husk before she picked up a piece and popped it into her mouth, smiling when the sweet sour flavor flooded into her mouth. He stared at her, shaking his head at her again.

 

“What? It’s good.”

 

“You do realize that stuff has a flesh eating enzyme in it, right? So it’s basically eating you back right now?” She grabbed four more pieces, taking a second to get a grip on them before holding eye contact with him and shoving all four pieces in her mouth, eyebrow raised. “I don’t even know why I bother anymore, you never listen to me.”

 

“That is so not true, I listen to you sometimes.”

 

“Uh huh. Name three times. I’ll wait.” She opened her mouth to respond to him, but for the life of her couldn’t come up with anything to say. The longer she stood in silence, deep in thought, the wider his smirk grew until finally he just burst into laughter. “Damn girl, you can’t even come up with one.”

“I can. Just not right now.”

 

“Must be the flesh eating enzymes. They’re already begun their work.”

 

“Oh my gods shut up about the enzymes in pineapples, how the fuck do you even know about that?” He made a face at her and reached across the counter to grab a piece of pineapple from the bowl.

 

“Because I paid attention in science class, Carrie.”

 

“You went to class? I’m shocked.” The chime of her phone sounded before he could respond, and she quickly licked the juice from the fruit off her fingers before she pulled it from her back pocket, reading the text.

 

**_Jonathan: Hey General. If you not better than all of us now since you went Northside, there’s some Serpents trying to start some shit if you want to pick a fight._ **

 

**_Carrie: It’s been one day, asshole. An annoying day full of fucking Northsiders. What the hell is up with the snakes?_ **

 

**_Jonathan: Same thing as usual, Neck Tattoo and his little friends are currently trying to pick a fight with Kyle and Drew_ **

 

**_Carrie: Where? That asshole needs his ass kicked again_ **

 

**_Jonathan: There’s the General we all know and love. Fox Forest, just over the bridge_ **

 

**_Carrie: Why the fuck are you guys out in the woods, you know I don’t like the woods_ **

 

**_Jonathan: Yes, because we totally planned to get into a fight with snakes tonight. We were hanging out and then that dickwad showed up_ **

 

**_Carrie. I hate all of you. I’ll be there in like ten minutes_ **

 

**_Jonathan: Yes ma’am_ **

 

“Everything good?” She locked her phone and slid it back into her pocket, nodding at Mal.

 

“Yeah. Just some Serpents starting some shit down in Fox Forest. I’m heading down there to help out.” He tipped his head at her, his eyebrows furrowing.

 

“Fox Forest? You hate the woods.” Carrie rolled her eyes at him as she slid the elastic out of her hair and ran her fingers through it, loosening it from the braid.

 

“Yeah, well. I’m in the mood for a fight.”

 

“I swear to god you are the most violent female I’ve ever met in my entire goddamn life. Don’t break your hand this time, please,but I know I’m not going to be able to talk you out of this, so go ahead.” She hit him on the shoulder when she walked past him into the living room, grabbing her jacket and sliding it on before pulling her boots back on.

 

“Wasn’t going to ask for your permission in the first place, but thanks.” She slipped out the door with a quick goodbye, breathing in the cool night air before setting off for Fox Forest. The place where Jonathan said they’d be was within easy walking distance, and usually when her and Sweet Pea got into a fight, it was never bad enough that she couldn’t walk home. The two of them were like baking soda and vinegar, a reaction triggered every time they were around each other, fast and violent. Something about him always got under her skin, and from the way he was around her, she got under his too. 

 

She got so wrapped up in her thoughts that before she knew it, she stood facing the bridge into Fox Forest. Taking in a deep breath and releasing it in a low sound of frustration, she headed in, the sound of voices alerting her to where her guys were, and she broke through the trees into the small clearing, taking in the sight of two of her Ghoulies facing three Serpents.

 

“Easy there boys, what’s going on?” Sweet Pea turned to face her, fire in his eyes that ignited the anger that simmered under her skin. 

 

“Just a civil discussion,  _ Princess. _ Nothing to worry your pretty head over.”

 

“Sure doesn’t sound like a civil discussion to me, asshole.” Sweet Pea smirked at her, the edges of his smile sharp as a blade.

 

“Go ahead and take off, boys. I’m good here alone.” His Serpents sent him confused looks, but with a jerk of his head and a sharp look, they turned and left, one of them sending a glare Carrie’s way.

 

“You think you’re strong enough to take on all four of us?” Carrie sent a warning glance at Jonathan, a silent admonishment for his outburst, and he nodded in understanding, stepping back.

 

“No, but I do know there’s more of us out tonight. Couple of them were mentioning trying to tag your territory.” She knew he was baiting her, trying to get her to send her boys away and leave them alone, but she wouldn’t put it past him to double bluff her and be telling the truth.

 

“Go on, boys. Get a group, canvas the borders, see if there’s any truth to a snake.”

 

“Carrie-”

 

“What did I just say?” She turned her gaze from Sweet Pea to Jonathan, pinning him with the sharp look she reserved for when she was giving orders, watching him shrink back from her.

 

“Canvas our borders.”

 

“So why the fuck are you still here? When I give you an order, I expect you to follow it, do you understand me?” He nodded once, not looking her in the eye before backing away from her, waiting until he was in the tree line to turn and walk away, Kyle and Drew close behind him. A quiet laugh beside her had her turning back to Sweet Pea, anger still simmering in her blood. 

 

“Dissension among the ranks, Princess? Must be frustrating.”

 

“And you wouldn’t know anything about being frustrating, would you, snake?” He moved a few steps closer to her, his movements casual with an undercurrent of the speed and strength she knew rested just beneath the surface. 

 

“No more than you would. I honestly don’t know how anyone puts up with you, volatile as you are.”

 

“Speak for yourself. Why the fuck do you even keep trying to pick fights with me, can you not get anyone else to pay attention to you?” She saw something flicker deep in his eyes, a different fire than normal, as he shifted closer, almost backing her into a tree.

 

“Seems like it’s pretty easy to get you to pay attention to me, Princess.”

 

“It’s called annoyance, Sweets. Are you so desperate for attention you have to come to a Ghoulie to get it? Poor boy, life must be so hard. So alone and unloved you have to annoy someone to get them to look at you.” He moved forward faster this time, forcing her to move back until her back hit the rough bark of a tree, his hands on either side of her, caging her between his body and the tree. She moved to shove him away, but froze when his hand cradled the side of her face, gentle and rough at the same time. He barely gave her a second to relax before his lips connected with hers, warm, soft, and demanding. She tensed, unable to lean back, but his thumb stroking along her cheekbone had her brain shutting off and she was suddenly kissing him back. He moved from her lips to her jaw and down to the curve of her neck.

 

“What was that about me being annoying?” He moved away from her, staring down into her eyes with a smirk curving his mouth, attempting to trivialize things, but she refused to let him. 

 

“Uh uh, Sweets. You don’t get to act like that didn’t just happen, shut the fuck up.” She grabbed the lapels of his leather jacket and yanked him back down to kiss her again, a flash of victory shooting down her spine when his arm dropped from the tree to circle around her, pulling her closer to him. Her arms circled around his neck as best they could with the difference in height, and his other hand had just slid into her hair when her phone rang. He pulled away, his arm still wrapped around her as she cursed under her breath and yanked her phone out of her back pocket. 

 

“What, Mal?”

 

_ “Turns out the snake was right, the boys found Serpents trying to tag our territory. They said you were alone with Sweet Pea. You good?” _

 

“I’m fine, Mal. It wasn’t much of a fight anyways.” Sweet Pea’s hands had dropped to her waist, thumbs running back and forth along the exposed skin, and she dropped her head back against the tree, noting his smirk. 

 

_ “Good. You might want to come back soon, the Serpents will be out for revenge after the fight your guys got into.”  _

 

“They’re not mine, but yeah, I’m heading back soon. They ended up being further in than I thought, I’ll be back in like ten minutes.” At his confirmation, she hung up, moving to put it back into her back pocket before Sweet Pea pulled it out of her hand. “Hey. What the hell are you doing?”

 

“Giving you my phone number, Princess.” His fingers were moving quickly across the screen, adding himself into her contacts.

 

“What makes you think I want it?”

 

“That fact that you were about four seconds from having your tongue in my mouth.” 

 

“I… I didn’t-” He cut her off with another kiss, smirking against her mouth when her lips moved with his. He pulled away, his hand running gently along the line of her jaw before he released her, handing her phone back.

 

“Text me later, Princess.” She watched him walk away, heat flooding through her veins and pooling low in her stomach. 


	4. Chapter 4

Hey everyone!

 

First, let me apologize for the delay on this story, real life kinda got in the way and my inspiration and desire to write was way low...

 

However!

 

I have some exciting news. Hearts of the Divine (and Carrie and her story) are currently undergoing a few changes. I'm currently working on a collaborated story with the lovely Cass (Ao3: nationalrebellion Tumblr: sweetpea-cc) which combines Carrie Weylyn's story and Cass' OC Maisie Andrew' story together. The stories of both of these characters just naturally seemed to flow together, so here we go :) 

PS for any of you that may or may not have grown attached to Carrie's older brother Kace in like the one time I mentioned him, he's not dying in this new universe. I like him too much, I had to bring him back. 


End file.
